Accomplishing OneWaterSF
Piloting State of the Art Technologies
Advancing the Science of Purified Water
PureWaterSF
With growing scarcity of water, and wet years interspersed with extended
periods of drought, many water providers around California and throughout the
United States are looking to purified water as a source of supply. Treated with
the appropriate technology, wastewater can be used for non-potable or potable
purposes. Regulations for potable reuse are still being developed in California;
in the meantime, there continues to be a need for more data on different types
of applications. San Francisco is helping to advance the statewide dialogue
with PureWaterSF, a 9-month pilot project that takes treated water from the
Living Machine and further treats it to meet drinking water standards. The pilot
uses ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, and advanced oxidation with ultraviolet
light. After data collection, the water will be returned to the building for toilet
flushing. The pilot has three main objectives: 1) see how consistently and reliably
the technology works, 2) gather in-depth water quality data and 3) engage our
communities on potable reuse. PureWaterSF is supported by grants from the
Water Research Foundation and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
Being Responsive to an Evolving Business Industry
Changing Business Practices
Over the course of 2017, the SFPUC has developed new business practices to
respond to a changing industry. To date, the SFPUC Commission has issued three
Green Bonds earmarked for climate change mitigation and adaptation projects.
For this work, the SFPUC was awarded a Pioneer Award from Climate Bonds
Initiative at their annual conference in March 2017. Additionally, the SFPUC has
created several tools and forums to facilitate a seamless transition to new resource
utilization and building techniques. As part of the National Green Infrastructure
Certification Program, the SFPUC created 12 training modules on how to build,
maintain, and inspect green infrastructure.
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